The last checkmate : a novel / Gabriella Saab.
Maria Florkowska is many things: daughter, avid chess player, and, as a member of the Polish underground resistance in Nazi-occupied Warsaw, a young woman brave beyond her years. Captured by the Gestapo, she is imprisoned in Auschwitz, but while her family is sent to their deaths, she is spared. Realizing her ability to play chess, the sadistic camp deputy, Karl Fritzsch, decides to use her as a chess opponent to entertain the camp guards. However, once he tires of exploiting her skills, he has every intention of killing her. Befriended by a Catholic priest, Maria attempts to overcome her grief, vows to avenge the murder of her family, and plays for her life. For four grueling years, her strategy is simple: Live. Fight. Survive. By cleverly provoking Fritzsch's volatile nature in front of his superiors, Maria intends to orchestrate his downfall. Only then will she have a chance to evade the fate awaiting her and see him punished for his wickedness. As she carries out her plan and the war nears its end, she challenges her former nemesis to one final game, certain to end in life or death, in failure or justice. If Maria can bear to face Fritzsch--and her past--one last time.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780063143388 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: 392, 16 pages ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2021]
- Copyright: ©2021
Content descriptions
General Note: | "P.S. insights, interviews & more ..."--Dust jacket. |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Auschwitz (Concentration camp) > Fiction. Chess > Fiction. Political prisoners > Fiction. Revenge > Fiction. World War, 1939-1945 > Poland > Fiction. |
Genre: | Historical fiction. |
Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stroud Branch | LP FIC Saab | 31681010253516 | LARGEPT | Checked out | 10/01/2024 |
Lakeshore Branch | FIC Saab | 31681010253656 | FICTION | Available | - |